The Saint Lucia hospitality sector has launched a groundbreaking monthly food distribution program aimed at addressing food insecurity across the nation. Dubbed “One Can, One Love,” this philanthropic initiative represents a significant expansion of the industry’s community outreach efforts beyond traditional seasonal charity.
Spearheaded by the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA), the program officially commenced on February 27th with a call to action for all member establishments to contribute non-perishable food items on either a bi-weekly or monthly schedule. These collected provisions will be systematically distributed to identified community groups experiencing the most pressing needs.
Tamara Amos, SLHTA’s Technical Officer for Community Projects, revealed that the initiative organically developed from the association’s annual December Food Voucher Drive. “Our observations clearly indicated that community support shouldn’t be confined to holiday seasons alone,” Amos stated. “We recognized the potential for creating sustained impact through regular monthly contributions.”
Sunswept Resorts’ StolenTime property emerged as the inaugural contributor, with Amos describing their donation as “exceptionally generous.” The resort’s corporate director of Human Resources, Genevieve Dixon, emphasized that participation aligns perfectly with their established corporate social responsibility framework, known as the Cares initiative.
Notably, the collection effort generated remarkable engagement among resort staff members. Dixon reported: “Team members across all departments enthusiastically participated, even initiating friendly inter-departmental competitions to maximize contributions. We distributed promotional materials throughout our staff facilities and witnessed overwhelming support.”
The SLHTA has announced plans to advance into the next implementation phase, which involves direct collaboration with community organizations for targeted distribution. The association expresses confidence that this sustained effort will generate meaningful long-term impact, with additional community outreach activities already in development for the coming month.